Inside the ESI
Cemetery 2 Suicide 3 Senate Bill 13 4 Quorum Court 5 Parks 6 Hogs 7 Hospital 8 Independent Mail 12 Fame Came Late 19 Astrology 20 Crossword 21 Independent Soul 24 Classifieds 30
This Week’s
INDEPENDENT Thinkers
Photo from Deutsche Welle
Thousands of protesters gathered in the cold outside Hungary’s Parliament over the weekend in support of, among other issues, freedom of the press. Groups like this in 2006 convinced Hungary’s government to become the first one in Europe to ban production, use and distribution of genetically-modified Monsanto corn seeds. Although at first considered temporary pending further testing, the ban remains. In the summer of 2011 inspectors found 1000 acres of “frankencrops” and plowed all of it under even though it was too late in the season to replant. Almost 100 municipalities in Hungary have declared themselves GMO-free despite pressure from the European Union to lift the ban. The message for Monsanto – Don’t mess with Budapest.
Stick sense – From
left, Kimbree Mayhall, 15, Mily Ochoa, 15, and Kamdyn Mayhall, 13, write poetry on sticks that will be used in the building of a sphere over the fountain in Basin Park during this year’s May Fine Arts Festival. Creator of the sphere is artist Robert Norman who said building the sphere would require possibly 1,000 decorated sticks in a graduated color design. Friday was the first of several planned, but unscheduled, events allowing people to participate in the project by writing or drawing on the sticks, which will be permanently attached to the sphere. Photo by David Frank Dempsey
Oak Grove pleads for help from CCSO Harrie Farrow At Oak Grove’s regular monthly city council meeting this week more than 50 people packed the tiny town hall to confront an ever-growing drug problem. Oak Grove is an incorporated town with a population of 376 approximately 12 miles northeast of Berryville. The mayor and city council had requested Carroll County Sheriff Bob Grudek be at the meeting, but instead two deputies showed up, Capt. Alan Hoos and investigator Charles Dale. When asked by someone in the crowd where Grudek was, Hoos said he was on vacation. Someone remarked that he’s never available when he’s asked to come; someone else said that the one time he did come he just said there’s nothing he can do. Another person remarked, “At least Medford kicked doors in,” and another said Grudek only comes to Oak Grove to politic for re-election. It was also noted that the town constable and the prosecutor were invited but did not show up. The mayor said he also invited a state highway patrolman who said he would come but was not there.
Despite volatility, the crowd, leaders and deputies all remained mostly civil and courteous throughout the hour and forty-five minute long meeting. The mayor began by saying he and the council were trying to find solutions and asked those gathered for comments and ideas. One man said those who’ve been arrested don’t stay in jail. “We are all guilty. The judges let them out, the council won’t act. More deaths will happen. Oak Grove is a haven for drug dealers.” Others in the crowd, explaining the problem made comments such as, “I can sit in my living room and watch people buying drugs. I’ve pointed people out to the police and the police are scared to death, afraid of getting shot.” Looking at the deputies, she added, “That’s your job.” Others lamented that the situation has been getting steadily worse, especially in the last three years. Those in the crowd talked of young men frequently driving down the street at 100 mph. One man said police told him that if he tried to do something about it
The weather outside is delightful
OAK GROVE continued on page 23